Countdown to Kickoff: Zaire Mitchell-Paden is Saints Player of Day 84
Article excerpt
Zaire Mitchell-Paden takes on the sizeable challenge of making the New Orleans Saints' roster at a much-improved tight end position. He must stand out
In 84 days from now, the New Orleans Saints will officially open their 2026 regular season. It will be a road game for the Saints, who travel to play the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Sept. 13. Wearing No. 84 for New Orleans as the team approaches training camp is Zaire Mitchell-Paden at tight end.
Mitchell-Paden was a mid-season addition by the Saints last year. He'll be trying to make the team this summer at a tight end position that looks loaded. Mitchell-Paden is our Saints Player of the Day, so here's a closer look at his background.
Name (age): Zaire Mitchell-Paden (26)
Hometown: Rockville, Md.
Position: Tight end
Height, weight: 6-foot-5, 257 pounds
College: Florida Atlantic Owls
Relative Athletic Score: N/A
Drafted: Undrafted in 2022 (Cleveland Browns)
NFL experience: 4 years (2nd with Saints)
2026 salary cap hit: $1.01 million
Mitchell-Paden was a football and basketball star at Richard Montgomery High School in Maryland before initially attending Notre Dame College in Ohio. He'd transfer to Florida Atlantic in 2021, where he'd catch 9 passes for 90 yards and a score before entering the NFL Draft. After going undrafted, he was signed by the Cleveland Browns.
While Michell-Paden did not make the final roster cuts for the Browns in either 2022 or 2023, he was brought back to the team's practice squad each season, but did not see a down of regular season action. After being waived again by the Browns at the end of the 2024 preseason, Mitchell-Paden was picked up by the Baltimore Ravens. He'd again spend that year on the practice squad, repeating the same cycle for Baltimore in 2025. Last season, Mitchell-Paden finally saw his first regular season action and would play in six games for the Ravens. Used mostly as an extra blocker, he'd record his first NFL reception with 1 catch for 3 yards in Week 5 against the Houston Texans.
After Week 6 last season, Mitchell-Paden was released by the Ravens. Within 24 hours, he was signed to the New Orleans Saints practice squad. Mitchell-Paden saw his first action with New Orleans in Week 10, catching 1 pass for 14 yards against the Carolina Panthers. He'd play two games for the Saints, catching only that one target while playing 33 offensive snaps and 22 more on special teams. New Orleans placed him on injured reserve for the final game, but brought him back this offseason.
Zaire Mitchell-Paden has an intriguing combination of size and athleticism. However, he'll be hard-pressed to make the New Orleans 53-man roster. The Saints return starter Juwan Johnson at tight end while adding a productive veteran in Noah Fant and rookie third round choice Oscar Delp to the position this offseason.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Countdown to Kickoff: Zaire Mitchell-Paden is Saints Player of Day 84